Which most popular Street Fighter characters are the most awesome?

Ever since Street Fighter II hit the arcades back in the early 90s, fans of all ages and demographics have taken into what are now some of the most iconic and recognizable characters not only in the gaming industry but in the mainstream media as well.

For this list, we’ll be focusing on the most beloved Street Fighter characters that have appeared in the games throughout the years and how awesome they are.

10. Juri (Debut: Super Street Fighter IV AE)

Juri will stand out in this list for being the only character here who isn’t part of the roster of Street Fighter II, the most famous entry in the franchise. She debuted in Super Street Fighter IV and quickly rose to be a fan favorite.

A Korean Tae Kwon Do practitioner who carries a mean streak and does not care for terms such as morals or ethics. Juri’s as unpredictable as they come and owns a striking look that’s frighteningly beautiful.

Her gameplay mechanics are unique in each game she is in and she can go from an aggressive, in-your-face, rushdown approach, to a careful and calculating zoning game just as easy. Her biggest weapon is her Feng Shui Engine which allows her to perform all sorts of crazy combos.

9. Zangief (Debut: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior)

Next on our list is the original grappler of them all. Debuting back in 1991, Zangief shaped the path not only for all subsequent Street Fighter grapplers but for the grappler archetype in Fighting Games in general.

Zangief’s goal is easy. To get close and grab you. This is grappling 101, and if you’re fighting the Russian wrestler you’ll need to keep him at a distance, which is not as easy as it seems despite Zangief’s slow speed.

His command grabs take out so much damage it never fails to amaze us, and in SFV, Zangief has a terrific air-to-air command grab to add to his arsenal that definitely makes up for him being without his classic Banishing Flat. Beware of the Red Cyclone!

8. Sagat (Debut: Street Fighter)

Next up, we have Thailand’s own, Sagat. Former martial arts champion and the original boss in Street Fighter (1987), turned into one of the 4 Kings of Shadaloo under M. Bison, turned respectful and honorable fighter in search of self-improvement, this character has gone through one of the most impactful character developments in the whole series.

Tiger Shot is a fireball that can be thrown high or low, and with recovery so fast that with good execution Sagat can keep shooting these fireballs like an automatic rifle. And if the opponent tries to jump in, Sagat can throw his Tiger Uppercut, which is an excellent anti-air, capable of scaring his opponents into not jumping at all.

Sagat’s serious nature and deep character evolution add an entire layer of profoundness and epicness to a series also known for over-the-top gimmicks and comedic nature, making him an integral part of Street Fighter’s DNA.

7. M. Bison (Debut: SF II: The World Warrior)

M. Bison is the final boss from the culture-defining Street Fighter II, and as the head of Shadaloo he continues to be one of the main antagonists throughout the Street Fighter series, barring an infamous absence in Street Fighter III. 

With dreams of world domination and fueled by the negative energy named Psycho Power, Bison will not measure any consequence from his actions in order to achieve his goals and often resources to human experimentation and all other kinds of atrocious crimes against humanity. He’s a megalomaniac and has died multiple times, but he always seems to find a way to resurrect in a new body.

Bison’s gameplay is all about pressure as he can keep pushing his opponents to their limits with the constant use of his relatively safe special moves like the Double Knee Press and control the air with his Head Press and Devil Reverse.

M. Bison is the villain that all fighting gamers just love to hate.

6. Akuma (Debut: Super Street Fighter II Turbo)

Akuma, known as Gouki in Japan, only wants one thing: to keep honing his skills at the cost of his own humanity, fully embracing the dark nature of the Satsui no Hado, and constantly searching for powerful opponents to test his skills. Appearing for the first time as a hidden secret boss in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma has grown to become a mainstay not only in every Street Fighter game, but he has actually commonly seen on many other fighting games, from even rival developers.

Akuma represents absolute consumption by Stastui no Hado he’s equipped with many different tools, not only in offensive terms but also when talking about mobility. Akuma’s dangerous from all angles and all distances, and his Demon Flip allows for exclusive mix-ups.

He always has his classic unblockable finishing move, Shun Goku Satsu (or Raging Demon), which remains one of the most damaging moves in the game, if you can land it. 

As a glass cannon type of character, Akuma is the perfect aggressive character for aggressive players who want to try to destroy their opponent while risking being destroyed in the process. Messatsu!

5. Guile (Debut: SF II: The World Warrior)

Sonic Boom! Guile is undoubtedly one of the main characters in the Street Fighter universe. This American Air Force major first appeared in Street Fighter II, seeking revenge for the death of his friend, Charlie Nash.

Guile stands out for having one of the most straightforward game plans in the game. He only possesses 2 Special Moves: the iconic Sonic Boom and the Flash Kick, which serve the purposes of zoning and anti-airing, respectively. 

What makes the Sonic Boom so terrifying is that it has amazingly fast recovery so even if you manage to jump over it you’ll probably just get blocked, if not anti-aired. With his V-Triggers in SFV, Guile adds even more projectiles to his arsenal, and particularly his V-Trigger 1 allows Guile to shoot multiple Sonic Booms in a row for the first time since his debut, allowing for crazy extended combos that are awfully dangerous when the opponent is in the corner.

Guile also has a wife and daughter and they are the ones who keep him from falling down a dark path of revenge. His wife is the sister of Ken Master’s wife making him and Ken brothers-in-law.

4. Cammy (Debut: SSFII: The New Challengers)

Cammy White was the second-ever woman being added to the Street Fighter roster and her status as a star with massive drawing power was determined early on back in the 90s. Countless cosplays, multiple guest appearances in other games and media, and comfortable standings among the top tier in each of her appearances are just part of this character’s reality.

In the past she was one of M. Bison’s brainwashed Dolls, acting under the name Killer Bee, but she was saved by Dhalsim and joined the British secret services division known as Delta Red.

She is regarded as the quintessential rushdown character, with multiple offensive angles, incredible speed for both her movement and attacks and easy-to-perform combos. She can easily overwhelm any opponent once her offense starts.

3. Ken (Debut: Street Fighter)

Ken Masters is Ryu’s eternal rival and he’s always ready to turn up the heat. Even though he started as an exact replica of Ryu but with a different design in the original Street Fighter game as well as in the vanilla edition of Street Fighter II, he became more and more distinct from his Japanese counterpart as time went on.

Ken became a husband and father and is known to incorporate flames in his moves, such as his classically dangerous heavy Shoryuken or its even better version, the Shinryuken. His moves are some of the coolest looking and most iconic in the entire franchise.

In Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Ken is mentoring Sean Matsuda, brother to Laura, and he is one of the top-tier characters in the game, known for his hit-confirms and kara-cancelling combos. In SFV, he stands out among other shotos is that Ken has virtually no setbacks or hindrances incorporated in his design, and he is designed to be played more aggressively, equipped with many dynamic combo routes.

2. Ryu (Debut: Street Fighter)

Ryu is a wandering vagabond in constant search of better control over his power. Having been the poster boy for the Street Fighter series ever since its first installment in 1987, Ryu’s probably the most recognizable face in all of the franchise.

Ryu is the ultimate embodiment of everything Street Fighter is all about, and if you learn how to play him then you pretty much have laid the groundwork to learn any other character in the game, as every Street Fighter character’s gameplay is based around Ryu’s.

With a simple design, an iconic moveset, and the relatable goal of constant self-improvement, Ryu is the most popular character in Street Fighter.

His struggle against his dark side in the form of Satsui no Hado is an exciting journey that was witnessed over the years and which ultimately led to his Evil Ryu persona, which is simply put one of the greatest Street Fighter playable characters of all time.

1. Chun-Li (Debut: SF II: The World Warrior)

As the tritagonist of the series, the Strongest Woman in the World has been a mainstay throughout its multiple installments ever since Street Fighter II. Not only that, she’s also often top tier in whichever game she’s in.

There are many reasons for Chun-Li’s stellar popularity but aside from her iconic design, it’s her gameplay that hooks so many players to this character. Street Fighter is a ground-based fighting game and therefore, footsies play a major role in who will take the victory. Buttons with tremendous speed and long reach combined with great mobility, dynamic movement, and the overwhelming power of her Lightning Legs (or Hyakuretsukyaku) make Chun-Li the perfect character for a hit-and-run, poking style.

Chun-Li has cemented herself as one of the most recognizable video game characters and has had a tremendous impact on the mainstream world. To put it simply, everyone recognizes (AND LOVES) Chun-Li, even if they haven’t ever played Street Fighter in their lives.

There are many more characters in the world of Street Fighter that are also extremely popular such as Dhalsim, Blanka, Guy, and Balrog, but taking into account all levels of players, from casuals to pros, we tried our best to compile them here and rank what are the most popular characters in Street Fighter games.

Hopefully, you were able to identify with some of the entries in this Top 10 and were able to collect helpful and exciting information about your favorite characters.

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